Australia’s Earth Hour

March 24, 2015

Last year, more than 7 million Aussies turned out the lights for Earth Hour 2014. This year, we will be participating in Earth Hour again on Saturday, 28 March 2015, teaming up with people around the world as a symbol of our commitment to the planet. If just turning out lights doesn’t seem like much, consider this statistic: During Earth Hour 2008, Ireland reduced their national electricity use by 1.5% throughout the evening. This reduced energy consumption by 50 megawatts, preventing 60 tons of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere. Even the smallest changes can have huge effects when everyone participates.

There is a prime example of this process at work in our own industry. Many industrial launderers are using appliances that are more energy efficient and products that are more environmentally conscious. One way that Australian Uniform is working to save energy and reduce waste is by letting our clients use reusable cloth towels in place of disposable paper towels.

Paper towels are so common it may be difficult to imagine going without them. The average person uses 2,400 to 3,000 a year just while they’re at work. Most paper is recyclable, but paper towels are usually not. Contaminated paper products are non-recyclable. The grease on your pizza box effectively moves that cardboard from “reusable” to “waste”. Food residue can’t be separated from the paper fibres so many paper products are unable to be reused.

If you are able to recycle your paper, every time the paper is processed, the paper fibres get shorter. Paper can be recycled 5-7 times before the fibres are too short to produce a sheet of paper. By the time paper towels and napkins reach you, they are usually the last stop on the recycling train, with fibres too short to be used again.

In light of this knowledge, and considering the sheer volume of paper products the average office uses, Australian Uniform Service would like to propose another small change with huge results. We provide Australian businesses with reusable cloth roll towels, which keep paper towels out of your office and out of landfills. When you reach the end of the roll, Australian Uniform will remove it, replacing it with a freshly laundered towel roll. With one year of reusable towels, you’ll save 18 million trees, reduce landfill waste as much as 10.43 kg per person, save about 946 litres of water and prevent 16 kgs of carbon from entering the atmosphere.

Australian Uniform Service will be participating in Earth Hour by turning out nonessential lights on 28 March 2015 between 8:30 and 9:30 pm; we hope you’ll participate with us. If you want to continue your commitment to the planet year-round, contact Australian Uniform for more information on how we can help you preserve and protect our home.